Come with the Morning
by LeDbrite
Summary: Taken by fever from the poison in his blood, Kili experiences delusions, dreaming of Tauriel. A Kiliel one-shot, a twist on the them of "she walks among the stars".


The world passed in a haze, filled with paled hues, and blurred edges; the visions of one delirious.  
Twisting, grasping, Kili fought to tear himself free from the binding obscurity. Reality came to him in fragmented pieces, too small for him to clasp and hold. Seeped in the slow poison, his blood leaden with it, his claim on life waned though he still fought to live.  
Eyes seeking something definite, his struggles eased as a sound reach his ears; dual sounds actually. One promised a dark and empty death, nothing but abandonment in a hollow tomb, the other spoke of light. But he couldn't tell if the light was more deadly than the dark for it didn't speak of its offer.  
Cautiously, he approached the light. Surely the unknown was better than death?  
Raising a hand to shield his eyes against the glare, Kili blinked as a new setting fell into place. Greenery; emerald shadows pooling at the feet of trees, vibrant grasses rolling in an endless carpet, verdant shrubs piling comfortable over each other. And it was full of life. He couldn't hear the birds that sang lustily, but he knew they were there, and if he looked quickly enough he caught flashes of brown. With every step, half seen insects sprang from underfoot, a paler green than the grass where they immediately hid again.  
Senses confused, overwrought by the abrupt changes, Kili turned swiftly as he thought he heard the sound of a familiar voice.  
"Fili?" he muttered, trying to catch sight of his brother, but his older brother was out of reach.  
Swelling, becoming brighter, the light intensified until the scenery fairly glowed from it. An age could've passed and Kili would not have been aware of it. There was no way of telling how the seconds ticked, for this place was timeless and refused to be confined to something so mortal as time.  
Exploring his boundless paradise, Kili felt stifled by the beauty of it and the extent of his isolation; nothing broached his silence, it was as if he was apart from everything. Stalking through the tall tufts of grass restlessly, looking for something (although he didn't know what). He was brought up short as a new vision entered his sight, eclipsing everything in its light.  
Heart stuttering in disbelief, he couldn't believe that this radiant being was real; beings of such beauty just couldn't exist in the mortal world. But his eyes insisted that it was true, that it was well and solidly there.  
Holding out a hand to him, Tauriel invited him to come to her, a smile upon her lips, fiery red hair gleaming richer than a ruby, her body silhouetted against the marbled green background.  
Incapable of ignoring her summons, Kili strode over quickly, grasping her delicate hand in his, as he instinctively fell to his knees before her with a cry of "My lady!"  
Laughing, Tauriel cupped his face in her hands lovingly, tucking her legs under her body gracefully, as she joined him on his level and embraced him  
Pulling away, he placed his hand over hers, where it rested warm against his cheek, and gazed ardently into her eyes, captivated by their warm brown depths. Even the finest jasper stone was dull in comparison to the light that shined in her eyes. Her loveliness had no equal, it was more desirable than life, being able to gaze at her was more rewarding than all the gold in the Lonely Mountain; there was nothing in the world that could compare to her.  
Drunk with the presence of his angel, a fear gnawed at the back of his mind. What if he was to lose her? If he woke, how could he wake knowing that she wasn't there? His grip tightening, he vowed to keep this being of perfection, even if it wrent them both to shreds, he would drag her back into reality with him if it meant that he could have but one second more with her.  
Feeling his fierce grip, and understanding it's source, Tauriel soothed him, her free hand fingering the ends of his hair, playing over his shoulders, and softly stroking his chest. Gently, she drew him to her, holding him as she murmured reassuring promises in his ear.  
Blissfully, Kili leaned back against her, his fears vanished. The pain of the knowledge that she walked among distance lands where she roamed with the stars was removed from him. She had come down from the stars, left her heavenly abode to be with him. But no! No meagerly form, such as that of a single lowly star, would fit her. She was the sun, the brilliant warmth of life; she was his morning star! For not by any other magic could she have come to him, but to bring him the light.  
Heart brimming over with joy, he reached back and tangled his fingers in her hair, teasing the silky strands against his calloused skin. Mesmerized, unable to get enough of her, he merged his lips with hers in a passionate kiss.  
For now, it was enough. For now, they were together and that was all that mattered.  
But the spell that bound them faded, and the dream disappeared as consciousness returned.  
Sighing, turning his head impatiently on the pillow, Kili opened his eyes to the light of dawn streaming in through the window. The worn wood of Bard's house appeared dim compared to the golden light, but such details had never fixed in his head before and he had trouble remembering where he was. A familiar clasp encased his hand, holding it in a grip that informed Kili that the owner of the hand had been worried about him.  
Shifting his gaze, Kili found Fili leaning over him, the furrows of concern melting into a smile of relief.  
Looking aside, Fili announced jubilantly, "He's awake!"  
A graceful figure stepped silently into place at Fili's side. Half sitting up in surprise, Kili resisted the slim hand that gently pushed him down, unable to take his eyes off the beautiful auburn hair and the flawless skin. It wasn't a dream! Oh blessed reality, she was really there!  
"Your wound has been cleansed but you must rest," Tauriel informed him quietly.  
Not caring about what damage he might cause to his healing wound, Kili only desired to express his love to this angel of perfection, the being of his dreams. He'd thought she'd been lost to him with the coming of dawn, but here she stood, as surreal as everything else. Like the sunlight that flooded the room, she had come to light his world.  
Catching her face against his hand, his fingers gently caressed her soft skin. Drawing her face towards him, he tenderly kissed her. "I thought you were a dream," he breathed in her ear as he released her, his voice husky.


End file.
